The Offers and Needs Market

An Offers and Needs Market (OANM) is a way to discover what kinds of support you can provide to others and what help you might get within a specific community. Each exchange builds a connection, more connections create meaningful relationships, and the collective relationships strengthen existing communities.

It's also a way to bootstrap communities by focusing on what passions, skills, resources, and connections the group already has. It highlights what people can already do and provides a positive way to short-circuit the “But … we don’t have any resources!” narrative. The emphasis is on creating and sustaining a mindset of what you can do to help – and get helped – right now.

How Does an OANM Build Community and Help You Simplify?

It reduces consumption. By making the most of existing assets, people don’t need to buy something that they can access when they need it.

It reduces waste. When someone else’s surplus or gift can become another’s resource, less material and time goes to waste.

It builds and enhances personal connections and community. Knowing who is doing what, who has access to what, and who knows who are vital for getting things done.

It’s a simple, fast, and inexpensive way to resource a movement because it focuses on what already exists and is positive in nature.